Assessment of sugarcane outgrower schemes for

Out-grower scheme performance
Sugarcane yields
The main husbandry practices carried out on sugarcane by Kaleya and Mpapa smallholder out-grower
scheme farmers are summarized in Annex 2.
Average sugarcane yields achieved by Kaleya out-growers are 110 tons/ha. This compares favourably with
and in some cases surpasses yields achieved by the KASCOL and Zambia Sugar Company estates. The
relatively high productivity reflects on the high level of technical supervision provided by KASCOL. However,
strict enforcement of proper farming methods by the core estate could make the out-growers mere labour
suppliers with no effective participation in farm management decisions.
Cane yields achieved by estates and smallholder out-growers in Zimbabwe are in general decline (Table 2).
Estate production fell from 107 tons/ha in 1999 to 88 tons/ha in 2009. Comparative figures for all out-grower
schemes in the country were 109 tons/ha to 54 tons/ha over the same period. Insecurity of land tenure, poor
access to inputs and credit, and inadequate crop production skills (in the case of farmers resettled after
2000) have contributed to decreases in cane productivity. However, when considered alone, the Mpapa
scheme achieved average sugarcane yields of 80 tons/ha. The figure is above the average yield for all outgrower
schemes and is comparable to that achieved on the estates.
Table 2: Average cane yield trends at estates and smallholder out-grower schemes in Zimbabwe
Year
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
All estates,
tons/ha
88.1
97.9
104.7
98.1
89.7
85.3
100.9
106.2
96.9
101.2
107.1
Out-grower
schemes, t/ha*
53.5
38.2
65.7
73.0
69.0
70.3
84.0
103.9
94.4
99.3
109.1
*Includes Mpapa but excludes schemes established after 2000 whose productivity is much lower.
Harvested sugarcane feedstock from an out-grower scheme
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